OCR

88 nu1..u:sx.s.
“ It must be next week, for he wants to go back to Manhattan in
a few days ; he and Sarah will manage that without our help, I dare
say.” Here Mr. and Mrs. Jones looked at each other and smiled.
' “ Isay, squire, I want to ask you one question,” interrupted
Mrs. Bates, coming through the kitchen door and sidling up to the
couple, “ is that watch which the gentleman carries rale genuine gold.
or on’y pinchbeck T I’d give any thing on ’arth to find out.”
“I believe it’s gold, Mrs. Bates.”
“ Now, du tell ! What, rale Guinea gold? Now, if that don’t
beat all natur. I ruther guess Miss Sara.h’s feathered her nest this
time, any how. Now, squire, du tell a body, when is the wedding
‘ we. to be? I won’t tell a. single ’arthly critter, if you’ll on’y jest give
me a hint.”
“ You must ask Sara ,” replied Mr. Jones, following his wife
6‘ - into the parlor ; “ I never meddle with young folks’ atfsiirs.”
“ Now, did you ever?” muttered the old woman, when she found
herself alone in the passage. “Never mind; if I don’t find out
more I go home to-night, I lose my guess, that’s all. I should just
like to know what they’re a. talking about this minute.”
Here the old woman crouched down and put her ear to the crevices
under the parlor door; in a few moments she scrambled up and
hurried off into the kitchen again, just in time to save herself from
being pushed over by the opening door.
Sarah Jones returned home the same warm-hearted, intelligent girl
as ever. She was a little more delicate in person, more quiet and
graceful in her movements ; and love had given depth of expression
to her large blue eyes, a richer tone to her sweet voice, and had mel-
lowed down the buoyant spirit of the girl to the softness and grace of
womanhood. Thoroughly and trustfully had she given her young
alfections, and her person seemed imbued with gentleness from the
thnnt of love, that gushed up so purely in her heart. She knew that
she was loved in return -- not as she loved , fervently, and in silence,
i but with a tire of a passionate nature ; with the keen, intense feeling
which mingles pain even with happiness, and makes sorrow sharp as
the tooth of a serpent.
Proud, fistidious, and passionate was the object of her regard : his
prejudices had been strengthened and his faults matured, in the lap
of luxury and indulgence. He was high spirited and generous to at
fault, a true friend and a bitter enemy - one of those men who have
lofty virtues and strong counterbalancing faults. But with all his
heart and soul he loved the gentle girl to whom he was betrothed.
In that he had been thoroughly unselfish and more than geneI‘011=5 3
but not the less proud. The prejudices of birth and station had been
instilled into his nature, till they had become a. part of it; yet he
had unhesitatingly olfered hand and fortune to the daughter of =t
plain country farmer.
In truth, his predominating pride might beseen in this, mingled
with the powerful love which urged him to the proposal. I Ie pret‘ei'I'ed
bwtowing wealth and station on the object of his choice, rather than
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